SSU MBB drops 67-65 in-state slugfest to Ohio Christian

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio -- The men's basketball program at Shawnee State got a big 22-point performance from 6-9 sophomore forward Donovan Lovelace while Tre Beard and Ezra McKee also finished in double-figures, but the Bears ultimately fell in the final seconds as Landon Brewer's layup with 1.5 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winning bucket in a 67-65 setback for the Bears Tuesday evening in a contest that was held at the Maxwell Center in Circleville.

Game Summary

Both teams proved to shoot the basketball well Tuesday as Shawnee State and Ohio Christian showcased a willingness to value possessions and make the extra pass at different points throughout the 40-minute nonconference battle.

The Bears ultimately finished with marks of 24-of-53 from the field (45.3 percent), 9-of-21 from three-point range (42.9 percent), and 8-of-10 (80 percent) from the free throw line while the Trailblazers shot 27-of-52 (51.9 percent) from the field and 9-of-18 (50 percent) from three-point range. Shawnee State posted 15 assists on its 24 made baskets while Ohio Christian had 16 dimes on its 27 makes.

Neither team led by more than eight points throughout the entirety of the contest -- with much of the affair being played within six points or less of the lead.

Lovelace provides punch off of pine

Playing as the first guy off of the bench in Tuesday's nonconference matchup, Donovan Lovelace embraced the role and showcased a terrific offensive game in the process of putting together one of his best outings of the year.

Lovelace already enjoyed a respectable first half with a seven-point, three-rebound effort on 3-of-4 shooting in the opening half of action -- but really turned his game up in the second half as the 6-9 sophomore from Dallas, Texas made it his mission to make Ohio Christian earn the victory.

The forward ultimately posted 15 points and three rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting in the second half of play -- and in the midst of doing so, scored 12 straight Shawnee State points over a stretch of 6:17 (8:25 to 2:08 marks of the second half) to help the Bears rally from a 56-50 deficit to take a 65-61 lead with 2:08 to go. Unfortunately, Shawnee State didn't score again after that point, and after jumpers by Caleb Schmelzer and DJ Bogay to tie the score at 65 apiece, the Trailblazers drew up a play out of a timeout and found Brewer on the left block, who scored underneath for the game-winner.

In addition to scoring his 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting and a 3-of-4 from the free throw line, Lovelace also pulled down six rebounds and collected two steals to boot.

Beard supplies timely three-point buckets

Continuing to shoot the ball at a high level, Shawnee State senior guard Tre Beard kept pace with Ohio Christian's scoring output with timely buckets of his own.

Beard, who played all 20 minutes in the opening half of play, was electric as the senior ripped off 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and a 2-of-3 mark from three-point range in the opening half -- then added in five points, three assists and two steals in the second half en route to finishing with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals for the contest.

For his Shawnee State career, Beard now has 927 career points as the senior now sits just 73 away from 1,000. He would be the 20th career player inside the Shawnee State men's basketball program to hit 1,000 points.

Additional

Ezra McKee, who scored Shawnee State's first seven points over a span of 4:28 to begin the game, finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals on 5-of-10 shooting while Jesse Dixon added in eight points off of the bench himself, going 2-for-2 from behind the three-point line in doing so.

Elkin Ramirez's six points on 2-of-4 three-point shooting and Marcos Vazquez's five assists and three rebounds were among the additional stat-producing totals for the Bears.

Shawnee State (5-8, 0-1 RSC) takes on No. 23 Rio Grande (10-3, 1-0 RSC) Saturday afternoon at Waller Gymnasium in what will be a River States Conference doubleheader for the men's and women's basketball programs. White Out Rio will be the theme, with those attending being asked to wear white for the Shawnee State camp. Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day will also be held the same day.